Vitrectomy lens

Abstract

A self-adhering contact lens made of flexible material for adhering to cornea and scleral regions of the eye includes a central lens portion optically shaped for viewing interior regions of the eye. The central lens portion has an interior concave surface with a radius of curvature R 1 for contacting the cornea. An outer flange formed integrally with the central lens portion extends radially outwardly from the central lens portion. The outer flange has an interior concave surface extending from the interior concave surface of the central lens portion. The interior concave surface of the outer flange is designed to contact the sclera and has a radius of curvature R 2 that is greater than the radius R 1 . The outer flange is shaped for deflecting relative to the central lens portion for conforming the interior concave surface of the outer flange to the sclera.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A self-adhering contact lens made of flexible material, the lens for adhering to cornea and scleral regions of an eye, the cornea and sclera each having a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the sclera being greater than the radius of curvature of the cornea, the lens comprising: 
       a central lens portion optically shaped for viewing interior regions of the eye, the central lens portion having an interior concave surface with a radius of curvature R 1  approximating the radius of curvature of the cornea for contacting the cornea; and  
       an outer flange formed integrally with the central lens portion having an interior concave surface extending from the interior concave surface of the central lens portion, the interior concave surface of the outer flange for contacting the sclera and having a radius of curvature R 2  that is greater than the radius R 1 , but less than the radius of curvature of the sclera, the outer flange being shaped for deflecting relative to the central lens portion for conforming the interior concave surface of the outer flange to the sclera.  
     
     
       2. The lens of  claim 1  in which the central lens portion has a height and the outer flange has a thickness, the thickness of the outer flange being sufficiently less than the height of the central lens portion for enabling the outer flange to deflect relative to the central lens portion without substantially deforming the central lens portion. 
     
     
       3. The lens of  claim 2  in which the lens has a ratio of the height of the central lens portion to the thickness of the outer flange of greater than about 7. 
     
     
       4. The lens of  claim 3  in which the height of the central lens portion is 3.5 mm or greater and the thickness of the outer flange is in the range of 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       5. The lens of  claim 1  in which central lens portion and the outer flange each have an outer diameter, the lens having a ratio of the diameter of the central lens portion to outer diameter of the outer flange in the range of 0.83 to 0.88. 
     
     
       6. The lens of  claim 5  in which the outer diameter of the central lens portion is about 12 mm and the outer diameter of the outer flange is about 14 mm. 
     
     
       7. The lens of  claim 1  in which the radii R 2  and R 1  have a ratio R 2 /R 1  of about 1.3. 
     
     
       8. The lens of  claim 1  in which the central lens portion has a flat exterior surface. 
     
     
       9. The lens of  claim 1  in which the central lens portion has a concave exterior surface. 
     
     
       10. The lens of  claim 9  in which the concave exterior surface has a radius of curvature in the range of 7.95 mm to 38 mm. 
     
     
       11. The lens of  claim 1  in which the central lens portion has an angled exterior surface. 
     
     
       12. The lens of  claim 1  in which the angled exterior surface is in the range of 15° to 50°. 
     
     
       13. A self-adhering contact lens made of flexible material, the lens for adhering to cornea and scleral regions of an eye, the cornea and sclera each having a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the sclera being greater than the radius of curvature of the cornea, the lens comprising: 
       a central lens portion optically shaped for viewing interior regions of the eye, the central lens portion having an interior concave surface with a radius of curvature R 1  approximating the radius of curvature of the cornea for contacting the cornea, the central lens portion having a height; and  
       an outer flange formed integrally with the central lens portion having an interior concave surface extending from the interior concave surface of the central lens portion, the interior concave surface of the outer flange for contacting the sclera and having a radius of curvature R 2  that is greater than the radius R 1  but less than the radius of curvature of the sclera, the outer flange having a thickness that is sufficiently less than the height of the central lens portion for enabling the outer flange to deflect relative to the central lens portion for conforming the interior concave surface of the outer flange to the sclera without substantially deforming the central lens portion.  
     
     
       14. The lens of  claim 13  in which the lens has a ratio of the height of the central lens portion to the thickness of the outer flange of greater than about 7. 
     
     
       15. The lens of  claim 14  in which the height of the central lens portion is 3.5 mm or greater and the thickness of the outer flange is in the range of 0.4 mm to 0.5 mm. 
     
     
       16. The lens of  claim 13  in which central lens portion and the outer flange each have an outer diameter, the lens having a ratio of the diameter of the central lens portion to outer diameter of the outer flange in the range of 0.83 to 0.88. 
     
     
       17. The lens of  claim 16  in which the outer diameter of the central lens portion is about 12 mm and the outer diameter of the outer flange is about 14 mm. 
     
     
       18. The lens of  claim 13  in which the central lens portion has a flat exterior surface. 
     
     
       19. The lens of  claim 13  in which the central lens portion has a concave exterior surface with a radius of curvature in the range of 7.95 mm to 38 mm. 
     
     
       20. The lens of  claim 13  in which the central lens portion has an exterior surface angled in the range of 15° to 50°. 
     
     
       21. The lens of  claim 13  in which the radii R 2  and R 1  have a ratio R 2 /R 1  of about 1.3. 
     
     
       22. A self-adhering contact lens made of flexible material for adhering to first and second regions of an eye, the first and second regions each having a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the second region being greater than the radius of curvature of the first region, the lens comprising: 
       a central lens portion optically shaped for viewing interior regions of the eye, the central lens portion having an interior concave surface with a radius of curvature R 1  approximating the radius of curvature of the first region of the eye for contacting the first region of the eye; and  
       an outer flange formed integrally with the central lens portion having an interior concave surface extending from the interior concave surface of the central lens portion, the interior concave surface of the outer flange for contacting the second region of the eye and having a radius of curvature R 2  that is greater than the radius R 1 , but less than the radius of curvature of the second region of the eye, the outer flange being shaped for deflecting relative to the central lens portion for conforming the interior concave surface of the outer flange to the second region of the eye.  
     
     
       23. A method of forming a self-adhering contact lens made of flexible material, the lens for adhering to cornea and scleral regions of an eye, the cornea and sclera each having a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the sclera being greater than the radius of curvature of the cornea, the method comprising: 
       providing a central lens portion optically shaped for viewing interior regions of the eye, the central lens portion having an interior concave surface with a radius of curvature R 1  approximating the radius of curvature of the cornea for contacting the cornea;  
       forming an outer flange integrally with the central lens portion having an interior concave surface extending from the interior concave surface of the central lens portion, the interior concave surface of the outer flange for contacting the sclera and having a radius of curvature R 2  that is greater than the radius R 1  but less than the radius of curvature of the sclera; and  
       shaping the outer flange to enable deflection relative to the central lens portion for conforming the interior concave surface of the outer flange to the sclera.  
     
     
       24. The method of  claim 23  in which the central lens portion has a height, the method further comprising the step of forming the outer flange with a thickness sufficiently less than the height of the central lens portion for enabling the outer flange to deflect relative to the central lens portion without substantially deforming the central lens portion. 
     
     
       25. The method of  claim 24  further comprising the step of forming the central lens portion and the outer flange to have a height to thickness ratio of greater than 7. 
     
     
       26. The method of  claim 23  in which the central lens portion and the outer flange each have an outer diameter, the method further comprising the step of forming the central lens portion and the outer flange to have an outer diameter ratio in the range of 0.83 to 0.88. 
     
     
       27. The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of providing the central lens portion with a flat exterior surface. 
     
     
       28. The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of providing the central lens portion with a concave exterior surface. 
     
     
       29. The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of providing the central lens portion with an angled exterior surface. 
     
     
       30. The method of  claim 23  further comprising the step of forming the radii R 2  and R 1  to have a ratio R 2 /R 1  of about 1.3. 
     
     
       31. A method of securing a self-adhering contact lens made of flexible material to cornea and scleral regions of an eye, the cornea and sclera each having a radius of curvature, the radius of curvature of the sclera being greater than the radius of curvature of the cornea, the method comprising the steps of: 
       providing a contact lens comprising a central lens portion optically shaped for viewing interior regions of the eye, the central lens portion having an interior concave surface with a radius of curvature R 1  approximating the radius of curvature of the cornea, and an outer flange formed integrally with the central lens portion having an interior concave surface extending from the interior concave surface of the central lens portion, the interior concave surface of the outer flange having a radius of curvature R 2  that is greater than the radius R 1  but less than the radius of curvature of the sclera, the outer flange being shaped for deflecting relative to the central lens portion;  
       positioning the lens on the eye with a perimeter portion of the outer flange contacting the sclera along a line of contact and the interior concave surface of the central lens portion being above the cornea; and  
       pressing the lens against the eye for deflecting the outer flange relative to the central lens portion to bring the interior concave surface of the central lens portion into contact with the cornea and to conform the interior concave surface of the outer flange into full contact with the sclera, the interior concave surfaces of the central lens portion and the outer flange providing sufficient surface area to secure the lens to the eye by capillary traction.